The Challenge by Susan Kearney Page B

put from his mind. Loving Lael and losing her had been so painful that he never wanted to fall in love again. Which made his fascination with the strange Earthling especially difficult for him. His people had sent their leader on this mission due to his expertise in training men to fight—not for any ability with women.
    “I’m assuming you’ve done—”
    “Much more than should have been necessary.” He left out how much he’d ached to take Tessa into his arms, taste her mouth, plunge into her heat.
    “And nothing?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Maybe Earthlings need more stimulation. Maybe they are different from other humans.”
    “This particular female doesn’t believe she has any psi ability at all,” Kahn told his friend with a heavy heart.
    Zical shoved back from the console with a shrug of frustration. “You should speak to Helera again. Maybe she has another suggestion.”
    Helera was their oldest and wisest female. Her gentle nature and healing ways soothed in times of strife, and her wise counsel often helped keep marriages strong—plus she’d helped him through many bad moments after losing Lael after an Endekian attack. But, Kahn suspected that Tessa had more in common with Azrel, his father’s she-devil wife from Scartar, than she’d ever have with the sweet-natured Helera or pliant and steady Lael. But at his wits’ end, he was willing to listen to any suggestions.
    Within moments, Helera’s wizened face once more brightened the screen. As if she understood his troubled spirit, Helera smiled kindly. “Kahn, why do you believe that the Terran is not responding?”
    “Tessa’s responding sexually, but no psi abilities have appeared.”
    “Could she be hiding them from you?”
    “Perhaps.” But he recalled her desperation and tears that seemed to have been drawn from her innermost core and shook his head. “But I don’t think so.”
    “Psi abilities come from the deepest, most primitive recesses of our minds. You must not have pushed hard enough. She might have stronger barriers than Rystani women. Has she had great trauma in her life?”
    “Yes.” Kahn thought of the agony of losing both parents at such an early age. At least he’d had his grandfather. Tessa had no one. She’d lost her parents, the man she’d loved, and now her world. And for what? She’d exhibited no psi ability, without which she couldn’t possible win the Challenge.
    “Kahn, you’ll have to go deeper.”
    The idea revolted him. “I don’t know if I can.”
    Helera locked gazes with him. “You will do what you must. Even if it goes against our customs. Even if it goes against your good heart. We need you to succeed. You know what is at stake.”
    Kahn couldn’t look Helera in the eyes. “Tormenting her as I did was wrong.”
    “There is no other way. Once she develops her psi, the Earthling will forgive you.”
    But would he be able to forgive himself? And worse, suppose Tessa was correct and her psi never developed?
    “WHAT IS THAT stuff leaking from your eyes?” Dora asked Tessa who lay on her side, anguished and jagged as if every raw nerve was still exposed.
    After Tessa had broken into uncontrollable tears, Kahn had immediately released her and left the chamber. Even an estimated half hour later, her body hadn’t recovered, and she yearned for release. Her shoulders shook. Her hands and feet twitched, and she trembled all over, but her main concern was not for the havoc he’d administered to her body, but the turmoil he’d inflicted to her soul. Tessa had learned with Mike that there were no rules to pleasure. While she’d still believed Kahn had intended to have sex with her, she’d enjoyed his touch and had been fine with going along with his wishes. Her mistake had been opening herself to him emotionally.
    After she’d realized that he meant to deny her gratification, it was too late to change her mind set. He’d given her too much pleasure to regroup and turn her thoughts in other directions.